The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-14
EFFECT OF THE INTERSTATE LAW.
How the discrimination in Freight Rates At
fects Indianapolis and Neighboring Towns.

The effect of the acknowledgements law upon
the manufacturing and mercantile interests of
Indianapolis and the necessity of some relief
being afforded from the unjust discrimination
under the present schedule of rates, will be fur
Their considered and acted upon at a meeting of
business men to be held at the Board of Trade
rooms this morning. correspondent of the
New York Times who has been making inquiries
relative to the feeling regarding the law here, in
telegram to that journal says:
Shippers, merchants, manufacturers and
abroad men here dream about the interstate
law and see in it some new and unpleasant
phase every night. They entertain, but fear to
express, the belief that this city will be side
trar ked. They take comfort in the thought that
sucif fate cannot overtake Indianapolis alone,
and that having plenty Of company, such con-
sunni aation may, in some way, be averted.
Business generally is dull, and this fact is at
triou,sd more to the paralyzing effect OF
the interstate law than to the fact that
last months business was abuormally
large Shippers generally assert that the law
will do manufacturers little or no injury Man
ufacture rs do not really know yet that such an
assertion is not trustworthy; they hope So but
ole. This is hardly to be wondered at, for
So. 000. 600 of capital is invested here in buildings
and eroun ds. SIS, 100000 in raw material and
the value last year of products manufactured
here was over $27 600, 000 Over 10. 900 people
Employed in the various manufactures, and
the wages paid them last year amounted
to over S., COO, 900. The manufacturing inter
ests consist of Touring mills with capacity Of
5000 barrels d day. and which use IL, 900 bushels
of corn daily; furniture and farming i'm lement
manufac tories, wagon factories, wooden mills.
steel and rail mills, malleabe iron-works, buggy
factories, breweres, one of them among the
largest in the West drain and brck-yards,
the Atlas stationary engine-works, capacity, six
forty horse power outfits a day and an elevator
capacity of ], 0O0. 900 bushels.
indianapolis is one of the greatest inland
railroad centers of the country. Fifteen rail
raids terminate here. yet. under the interstate
law. it is difficult matter to obtain through
rate over any of them, and grain shippers
have already decided to either try some other
line of business make radical change In
the conduct of their present occupation. One
of the largest of these said to-day to the
Timess correspondent on Change that the new
law. though disturbing element and antagon-
lstic to cities like Indianapolis, would benefit
localities that had always been Disseminated
against He proposed instead Of using Indian
apois as shipping point, the railroads now
Disseminated against 1t. TO go into the country
and ship from the point at which he could
make the best bargain, both as buyer and a
shipper
''Amonc shippers and business men generally
the bill is described as 'murky, unsatisfactory,
radical The benefits TO be derived from 1t by
obscure places will not balance the injury in
flicted upon more important places. The tend
ency of the law is to centrallze railroad control
by crushing the weaker vessels. the shorter
roads. Discrimination still exists. but it is
aimed at points which have surpassed their
neighbors in wealth, and territory, and
population only through superior fore
sight, energy and business capacity. Such
is the talk on all sides. The law is denounced
as a measure entirely too radical to be enforced
at moments notice. It should never have
been enacted. say its opponents, and it has ap.
parently friends until the commission had in
terpreted it. The character of the commission
is adversely criticised. and railroad men sheer
at the idea of receiving orders from those who
not to railroading born Altogether the law
is in very bad odor here and prominent men
profess to believe that it will be repealed.
Those who had made delivery contracts on
the strength OF freight contracts made with rail-
roads, and who are now unable to fill them ex-
cept at a loss account of the cancellation by
the railroads of all contracts, talk of bringing
suits for damages against the national govern
ment. They do not intend to pocket their losses
| quietly. The railroads aware Of this and
take pleasure in pointing to the government as
the cuprit that ought to suffer.
Senator Reagan. national candidate on
anv ticket. would not receive many votes in In
dianapoliS"